


Amour Chassé-Croisé

by DaisyQueenYisel



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M, all aboard the discourse train woot woot, and fyi i ship everything and anything so sorry, fluff and friendships mainly, like i expect this to be 15+ chapters so, this is gonna be a wild ride
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-25 10:33:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6191650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyQueenYisel/pseuds/DaisyQueenYisel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Criss-crossed love can be frustrating, confusing, and ultimately hard. But give it time, and it will grow into something that makes a lot more sense. Eventually.</p><p>And when it does, it can be amazing and incredible; Even miraculous.</p><p>(Basically where I dump my headcanons, drabbles, and AU's, folks)<br/>((Rated T now because I don't ever censor my AU drabbles lmao))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cloudy with a Chance of Crushes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Dedicated to the one who got me in this fandom in the first place. Bonne lecture!

Marinette walked down the steps, clinging onto the umbrella Adrien had handed to her. She hummed aimlessly as she skipped a step and hopped to the bottom, her mind swirling with Adrien’s clear laughter, a sound that was pure and sweet. His honesty, innocent and pleading, caught her off-guard, and but it pleased her anyways. He really tried to prove to her that he wasn’t like Chloé and Sabrina, because he really wanted her to be his friend. Her heart fluttered, and she took a deep breath. This feeling was strange to her. These past few _days_ had been strange to her, what with meeting Tikki, and literally becoming a freaking _superhero._ And yet, despite her bad luck, she had somehow managed to save the day. And stand up to Chloé. And become friends with Adrien Agreste. So maybe strange wasn’t too much of a bad thing.

 

Tikki suddenly fluttered into her purse, interrupting her thoughts. The rain began to pour down harder, and Marinette pressed the button for the crosswalk, tapping her foot impatiently as she pondered the exchange with Adrien.

 

“Tikki, did you hear the way he laughed after I accidentally closed my umbrella? I’ve had people laugh at my clumsiness before, but that laugh was so...kind.” She said, sighing contently. A smile creeped onto her cheeks and a warmth flooded her body, a familiar feeling she hadn’t felt in a while. “It’s something I kind of really want to hear again.” She chuckled, and saw the crosswalk light stiffly allow her to go with the switch of a light. She carefully stepped over a giant puddle pooling around the corner and walked across the street, listening to her kwami giggle at her outspoken thoughts.

 

“Wow, Marinette, I didn’t know someone could fall in love that fast!”

 

Marinette’s foot missed the sidewalk as she stepped over the next puddle, slipping into the murky water. She yelped in surprise and hopped onto the sidewalk as quickly as she could, sucking in her teeth as her soaking foot began to chill to the bone.

 

“I-In love?! N-no, nobody falls in love that quickly. That’s just unheard of!” She insisted, shaking her foot in attempt the shake off excess water. Tikki raised an eyebrow at her, and Marinette couldn’t help but blush. She shook her head and put back a string of hair behind her ear, trying to look firm and resolute. As if to challenge her confidence, a car whizzed by, veering a bit too close to the sidewalk as it turned the corner, and a giant wave of water crashed onto Marinette, and she shrieked as the cold turn of luck soaked her completely, save for her head. She cursed to herself and silently thanked Adrien for the umbrella as she began to sulk away from the curb. Tikki, who had managed to clasp the purse together before the wave had hit Marinette, unhooked it open and peered out at her chosen.

 

“Okay, maybe I think he’s cute. Just a little bit. But that’s it!” Marinette argued, causing her kwami to giggle.

 

“It’s okay to admit you have a crush, Marinette! It’s not everyday you get to be lucky in love."

 

“I’m not in love!” Marinette shouted, causing some passerby huddled under umbrellas to stare at her in confusion. She smiled, cleared her throat, and began to walk faster.

 

“That wouldn’t be love, Tikki, just infatuation. I think he’s kind of cute, but he’s also a model! Why wouldn't he be cute? And he's also  _Gabriel Agreste’s son._ My favorite designer! I'm probably just projecting my fondness for his dad onto him. I mean, I’m not shallow.” She argued. She huffed and put a hand on her hip, pursing her lips in irritation.

 

“Unlike _Chlo_ é.”

 

Tikki nodded her head in agreement. Marinette sighed, wringing her hands around the umbrella’s handle.

 

“He apologized to me about taking off Chloé’s gum, and even gave me this umbrella as a sign of peace. He really wanted to be friends with me, Tikki.” She said in a hush, and she smiled as she replayed his laugh in her mind, over and over again. Her kwami fluttered out of the purse and quickly landed on Marinette’s head. She patted it, humming to herself.

 

“Okay, Marinette. Whatever you say. But let me just say, you do have a good eye for the right kind of boy. You’ll see, Marinette, your luck will turn for you soon. Especially now that I’m here!”

 

Marinette giggled quietly, and then gave a violent shiver. She rubbed her arms, water squeezing out of her sleeves, and she picked up her pace once again.

 

“Yeah, let’s hope that happens in the next five minutes. _Before_ I develop hypothermia.”

* * *

 

Adrien patted his thighs as his eyes were glued to his limo’s small TV screen, the news reports on Ladybug capturing his attention. He felt the rush of exhilaration and the swell of pride all over again as they played Ladybug’s valiant declaration against Hawkmoth, her voice carrying across to all of those around la Tour Eiffel, ringing of unwavering determination. Plagg floated about, groaning as Adrien sighed heavily, and replayed the video once again.

 

“Of course, I get stuck with yet _another_ Chat Noir who’s fallen for Ladybug!”

 

Adrien’s eyes glanced up out of habit to check that the divider between him and the Gorilla was still up, and the tension in his shoulder’s relaxed.

 

“Other Chat Noir‘s have fallen for Ladybugs?” He asked, and paused, slightly confused.

 

“What do you mean other ‘Chat Noir’s’?” Adrien asked, eyebrows knit together. “I came up with that name today.”

 

“Oh, and what a clever boy you are.” Plagg said sarcastically, tossing to last bit of camembert into his mouth. He gave a small, surprisingly adorable burp, and Adrien held his nose. Despite it being a cute burp, that didn’t mean it didn’t reek of moldy cheese.

 

“‘Chat Noir’ has been the name of the beholder of the ring since the very beginning. Let’s see, there’s been Hēi Māo, Qat ’Asud, Shvarts Kats, Kaalee Billee, Gato Negro, Kuro Neko, and my personal favorite: Black Cat.” Plagg shook his head and patted his belly. “Americans.”

 

Adrien nodded his head slowly, eyes still fixed on the screen. So he wasn’t exactly original. If it was a name everyone before him had carried, then he was fine with that. As long as he could still fight besides his Lady.

 

“Could you pause that video and do literally anything else, boy? I’m even open to talking about your new girlfriend.”

 

Adrien scoffed and paused the video, effectively distracted by Plagg’s tease.

 

“Plagg. Marinette is just a _friend._ ” Adrien said, trying to sound firm while testing out the foreign word. _Friend._ Every time he said it, he felt like he was tasting the sweetest chocolate ever made, melting in his mouth and warming his cheeks. He actually had friends now. Albiet, it took a while for Marinette to warm up to him after a bad first impression, but still. He couldn’t help but smile, though. Marinette looked so surprised at his sudden apology. And when he umbrella closed on her out of nowhere, he couldn’t have helped but laugh. His heart fluttered at the memory, and he took it as a result of the doubt beginning to pool in his mind.

 

“I hope she didn’t think I was making fun of her for the umbrella accident. It was just really cute how it happened out of nowhere. And how she giggled right after. Well, right after I started laughing, anyways. Agh, she probably thinks I was laughing at her now, doesn’t she?”

 

Plagg rolled his eyes. “How can a girl who isn’t your girlfriend make you doubt yourself this much?”

 

Adrien laughed and leaned back into his seat. “She’s just the first friend I made on my own. Nino is my friend of course, but he kind of had to make the effort. But I really tried with Marinette. That’s why. I don’t want to lose a friend right after I made one, is all.” He turned to the paused screen, Ladybug still as she stared up at the moths forming Le Papillon’s face with a fierce determination. He smiled and felt his heart flutter once again. Adrien hummed and decided it was for a different reason. One that was going to make him suffer and joyful, all at the same time.

 

“Besides, I think someone else has stolen my heart already.” Adrien said. He turned to his kwami, who was just shaking his head.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that! It’s not as hopeless as you think. I mean, Ladybug must be someone as a civilian, right?” Adrien asked, and suddenly gasped, startling his kwami.

 

“What if she goes to this new school?!” Adrien exclaimed. He began to blabber on about the possibilities of finding out her secret identity and how he could hang out with her, and Plagg just scoffed to himself.

 

“Oh, if you only knew, boy.” He said softly, smiling wryly.

* * *

 

As soon as Adrien put up the divider, Plagg zipped out of the boy’s shirt and onto the back dash of the limo. He had always enjoyed watching the road pour out behind them, as if it were painting the road itself. Always had since the very first time he had seen cars. He snuggled into the dashboard and felt the limo rumble as it began to drive away. He closed both of his eyes to take a quick nap, but felt a twinge in his stomach. He opened one eye lazily, and in the distance, saw a small pair of eyes staring right back at him above Marinette’s purse.

 

Plagg’s ears perked up, and Tikki’s eyes widened. And then, she was gone. Marinette turned to press the crosswalk button, and by the time she turned once again, she was gone. Plagg felt his whole body shiver. He knew she was back in action. She had to be if there was a Ladybug. And so it happened to be Marinette. Which meant that every time Adrien would go to class….

 

Plagg knew it was a bad idea. But she was still as delicate, as kind, as beautiful as ever. Nobody ever asked, so he never had to answer, but if there was one thing he’d rather have, even if he was offered all the camembert in the world, was just to talk to her again. He couldn’t help it. He was Plagg, after all. Bad luck comes with the job description. Chat Noir’s thought they had it bad for Ladybugs? The magic of the Miraculous itself can’t help but want to be completed by one another. He’d talked to her before quite a few times, though very briefly. It was usually when their chosen were in too much danger for them not to intervene.

 

But there was once where a Ladybug and Chat Noir actually managed to keep their secrets perfectly hidden, and they got to spend a lifetime together. A lifetime getting to know each other. And then their jobs were finished, and they were retired. But he never forgot the fairy that radiated good luck, who smiled at his selfish tendencies and became his friend, against all odds. So, they’d slept a lifetime apart, only to be awakened again for another job. And he had almost forgotten her. He wished he had, but luck just wouldn’t have it. If only this time he could get another chance.

 

Not that he’d ever say that to anyone.

 

“Ooh, I found a news report that has a video of our fight today!” Adrien squealed, and Plagg could hear the audio of the video chatter behind him. Marinette was soaked by a passing car, and then she slunk away. With Tikki.

 

“Oh, how fun.” Plagg said absent-mindedly. “Hey, kid? How much camembert you got on you right now? I need as much as possible, ASAP.”


	2. Adrien "Master of Disguise" Agreste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is truly the slickest and smoothest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i said i would update on weekends but i am an overeager piece of trash lmao
> 
> L A D R I E N

Ladybug politely answered the reporters swarming her and Chat Noir, feeling overwhelmed by all of the praise she was receiving. She spotted Alya bulldozing her way through the crown, and mentally laughed to herself. 

 

_ “If only she knew it was just me.” _

 

“Um, My Lady? Though the attention of the people of Paris would never deter me from spending time with you,” he said, making sure to add in a flirtatious wink to his sudden interruption. “I kind of have to be going now. The whole ‘five-minutes-after-your-special-power-is-used’ thing really is a pain in the neck.”

 

As if cued, she heard the familiar beep of his Miraculous over the shouts of the crowd, and nodded in understanding.

 

“Well, don’t let me hold you back, Chat. See you around next patrol, kitty!”

 

Chat smiled at the use of her fond nickname for him, and she bit her tongue. Why did she do this to herself? He was cute, sure, but he was also a flirt, and though she didn’t mind the attention, the last she needed to do was lead a boy on. Especially if that boy happened to be you superhero partner against crime.

 

“Until then, my lady!” He said, bowing dramatically to her. It earned him a chuckle, which made him grin even wider, and with a salute to the crowd, he extended his staff and shot up into the air. Ladybug sighed as she watched her partner zipped away across the Parisian skyline, and returned her attention to the reporters in front of her.

 

“All right  fellow Parisians, you’ve got about three minutes to hit me with the hard questions. So, uh, what’s up?”

 

Adrien felt the magic wash over him once again, and felt his cotton shirt and jeans on his skin once again. Though he did enjoy being Chat Noir, he also appreciated the release from the skintight leather. It was stylish, though not exactly breathable material. Plagg yawned as he popped out of Adrien’s ring. He looked around him and nodded in approval.

 

“Ah, you catch on quick, boy! I remember, so many Ladybugs had to deal with Chat Noirs who didn’t know the first thing about secret identities. Or, more accurately, the ‘secret’ part of it.”

 

Adrien shrugged, pulling out a piece of camembert and flicking it into the air. The kwami caught it and munched greedily, sloppily chewing the cheese in satisfaction.

 

“Just common sense, is all.”

 

“Oh, common sense, my tail. I’m sorry, are we talking about the same kid here? The one who licked the weird caramel surrounding those walls from that one chef akuma. Cheese, kid, where’d you learn your survival skills from?”

 

Adrien rolled his eyes and opened his shirt, and Plagg floated into it, popping the last piece of the cheese into his mouth before he disappeared. He jogged out of the alley, pausing only to check if anyone was looking, and strolled out easily, skirting around the crowd that still surrounded a flustered Ladybug. He smiled to himself as she struggled to maintain her composure as a persistent Alya finally made her way to the front of the crowd and shot questions at her left and right. He then had an intrusive thought, a stubborn idea that filled his mind and seemed like a good one, but probably was a bad one. He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses.

 

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows pensively, taking a second to ponder whether or not he should make this decision. While he was already making his way through the crowd.

 

He quickly put on the sunglasses and continued to weave through the mass of reporters. He looked up as a random reporter shouted particularly close to his ear, and immediately made eye contact with Ladybug, who seemed to be staring at him in confusion. He gave her a flustered smile, still unable to keep himself from cracking underneath her gaze even out of the suit. She seemed surprise at this gesture, but returned to her normal confidence lightning quick. He pushed past a final reporter and stood in front of her, and he felt a bit vulnerable. He may fight beside her every time Paris was in peril, but for all she knew, he was just some random annoying kid that decided to crash the party. And now, after he was already standing in front of her and an entire swarm of civilians, he was beginning to think this was a mistake.

 

She was distracted by Alya’s persistence, however, and it seemed that her questions were starting to get more personal by the minute.

 

“Ladybug, do you have a secret beau out of the mask? Does Paris’s favorite hero have their heart stolen by someone else?”

 

She simply laughed, and Adrien released the tension he didn’t realize was seizing his body.

 

“No, I’m not dating anyone. Why do you ask?”

 

Alya shrugged and flashed her a professional smile. “Just you number one fan trying to get the facts!”

 

Ladybug tapped her chin and gasped in realization. “Oh, you’re the one who made the Ladyblog, right? I love how dedicated you are!”

 

Alya’s eyes widened, and she blushed as she muttered thanks to her. She cleared her throat, and tried to regain her composure. Adrien laughed softly, knowing fully well that Alya was probably reeling with questions and raves now.

 

“Uh, I find it hard to believe that Ladybug doesn’t have a special someone in mind.”

 

“Oh, you’d be surprised, Miss Alya. Kisses don’t come easily to Paris’s chosen heroes. Though I’m sure Chat Noir has no problem getting any action. But all in all, no, I don’t have anyone like that.”

 

“That’s too bad!” Alya said. “I wouldn’t mind a kiss from you, to be honest.”

 

Adrien chuckled again, and the crowd began to question Ladybug once more, drowning out the sound of his laughter. She turned to the crowd, and tapped her earrings as a friendly reminder. “I have less than thirty seconds left, follks! I’ll take one last question!”

 

Adrien’s hand shot up into the air, startling Ladybug. She seemed to have forgotten he was still there, and he almost put his arm back down. Ladybug blinked slowly, as if trying to process the situation, and a smile slowly creeped onto her face. She held her hand up and pointed at him.

 

“You! You’ve got thirty seconds, so make them count!”

 

“Uh...can I get a kiss?”

 

The crowd went silent as Ladybug’s cheeks went rosy red.

 

_ “What are you doing?!”  _ Adrien thought.  _ “You’re pushing your luck!” _

 

Ladybug giggled and beckoned him to come close. Adrien felt a lump in his throat, and he stepped towards her as he tried to restrain himself from screaming. She leaned by his ear and said,

 

“You seem like a good kid. Honestly, you shouldn’t be this smitten with a hero you barely know. But...I don’t mind giving a quick peck on the cheek!”

 

She pulled back from his ear, and Adrien aws completely stunned. He was staring at her, and noticed that she was probably mustering all of her might to keep herself from laughing. He nodded violently, and then stopped himself.

 

“Oh, yes,please, i-if you want to!”

 

“Of course!” She said, and closed her eyes as she pressed her lips against his soft cheek. Time seemed to slow down, and Adrien felt her warmth blossom throughout his body like a blooming flower. And then she pulled away, and the moment was over. The crowd roared with apporval and cheers, but all Adrien could focus on was Ladybug, and every single thing he loved her for. She gave Adrien a wink, saluted her fellow Parisians in the manner of her partner, and swung her yo-yo into the air to whisk her away.

 

Marinette snuggled into her comforters as Tikki sat on her pillow, patting her head as Marinette raved about the events of the day once again.

 

“And I kissed him! Well, on the cheek. And as Ladybug. But still! Oh, you should have seen the blush on his face, Tikki, it was  _ so  _ worth the publicity. It was so funny watching him walk up to me with those sunglasses on his face, as if I wouldn’t recognize Adrien Agreste anywhere he was!”

 

Tikki hummed. “Yes, that sounds pretty amusing. But just you wait until morning, Mari. It’ll be amusing when you wake up and your parents see the news!”

 

Marinette rolled her eyes. “It’s not like they know I’m Ladybug. They can’t ground me for kissing a boy if they don’t know it was me who kissed a boy.”

 

“But they know you like Adrien, right?” Tikki said, and Marinette froze. She let out a long groan, and Tikki smiled. This Ladybug truly was a unique one, if not her favorite one so far. Hard-working, determined, and kind, Marinette was amazing at her job, no matter the problem she faced. She was one of the few Ladybug’s who liked a Chat Noir back at first, as well, though she’d never admit it. And it was more a crush on his civilian form, sure, but Plagg’s magic is still present-

 

Plagg.

 

“Oh, Tikki, I’m going to get an earful of sappy parental support in the morning. I don’t know whether I should be embarrassed or glad.”

 

“Uh, yes.” Tikki answered, distracted. Marinette furrowed her eyebrows and turned to her kwami, who sat on her pillow in a hunched slouch. Tikki usually was clear-minded with advice on these kinds of situations, but right now, she seemed off. She looked like she was thinking of something troubling, which looked foreign on Tikki’s small, delicate features.

 

“Uh, you okay, Tikki? Did I do something wrong?” She asked. Tikki shook her head and yawned, snuggling into Marinette’s cheek.

 

“No, of course not! I was just, um, thinking of someone from the past, is all.”

 

Marinette looked at her suspiciously, but snuggled back, nonetheless.

 

“Alright. But we’re going to talk about this in the morning, okay?”

 

Tikki hummed in response, and soon she could hear Marinette’s breathing turn deep and slow. Her eyes closed, and Tikki allowed herself to drift into sleep, a thing she both appreciated and despised.

Adrien lay on his bed, paying no attention to the clock on his desk that read “3:00 a.m.”

 

“She kissed me.” He whispered once again, softly stroking his cheek. “I’m never washing this cheek.”

 

Forget the scolding he was going to get in morning for causing such a public scene. It was  _ so  _ worth it.

  
Plagg groaned and banged his head against the wall of Adrien’s room repeatedly as he continued to rub his cheek tenderly, smiling like an idiot and waiting to dream of his Lady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just realized i'mkind of making a tikki/plagg arc haha whoops


	3. Ladybug Finally Cracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puns are the fastest way to a girl's heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've become obsessed with this show and it's consuming my life but anyways here have another chapter that's actually a pretty good length for once

Ladybug rushed Chat, swiping the staff out of his hands and knocking an opaque phantom-dog off into some nearby bushes. She tossed it behind her, trusting he would catch it, and gritted her teeth as the akuma, the Operatic Phantom, continued to turn others into ghosts with their deadly high notes. Sadly, she had figured this out when her entire class, except for her, was turned into these very phantoms. So she was intent on serving justice. She swung her yo-yo around the akuma and yanked hard, catching it off guard as it flew past her in a blur of white and red. It managed to summon some of its minions to cushion its landing, however, and it was back on its feet before long. It mouthed at her, probably monologuing about her “inevitable defeat”, and she smirked. She had just barely used her Lucky Charm, which were two pairs of ear plugs.

 

“Oh, thank god.” Chat had said as the two polka dotted pieces of styrofoam landed in her hands. She nodded in agreement and placed a pair in his hands.

 

“Listen to me, Chat, and listen good: we won’t be able to hear each other. So we’re going to have to trust each other completely, okay? You may be confused by some stuff I do, and I may be confused by the stuff you do, but we are a team. We have to trust that in the end, we will beat this akuma by working together.”

 

Chat nodded his head and dropped into a battle stance. He plugged his ears and twirled his baton as she did the same. The awful wailing of the akuma was shut out, as if somebody had hit the mute button on the world. It was complete radio silence. Chat Noir gave her a thumbs up, and they took on a sprint towards the rampaging akuma.

 

Chat Noir met her eyes as the akuma kept up their pointless dialogue, she gave him(what she hoped was) a look of assurance. He knew what he needed to do.

 

Tiptoeing behind the akuma, Chat slowly reached out from behind the akuma, and snatched their theatrical mask off of their face.

 

Chat tossed it up in the air, swatted it with his staff, and Ladybug only had a second to catch the akuma mouthing “No!” as she caught it in her hand and crushed it. At last, the akuma was released from the mask, and she winded up her yo-yo to purify it. She shouted, hoping she sounded heroic, and swung her yo-yo at the akuma, swiftly catching it mid-air.

 

“Gotcha!” She said, hearing nothing but the vibrations of her vocal chords buzz. She rolled her eyes and laughed as she released the butterfly, wishing it farewell, and took out her earplugs.

 

“-amazing, My Lady! Really, there’s no _theatrics_ when it comes to you.”

 

Ladybug giggled, amused at the fact that Chat’s first response to defeating an akuma was to make a pun in congratulations. Chat’s ears perked up, and he smiled widely, making his way towards her.

  


“But of course, with you around, the whole ghost-creating business was just a _phase._ ”

 

Ladybug snorted, and she covered her mouth immediately, a blush creeping onto her face. Chat laughed in victory, raising his hands straight up into the air.

 

“Oh my god, that was the cutest noise I’ve ever heard!” He shouted. Ladybug shook her head and groaned, beginning to walk away. Chat rubbed his hands together and began formulating as many puns as possible, calculating the chances he had of breaking the world record of “most puns made in less than 15 seconds”.

 

“Oh, come on, Ladybug! That was some awesome rescuing, _props_ to you!”

 

Ladybug laughed once again, but cut herself short as she tried to pretend she was irritated with his jokes.

 

“Hey, I didn’t hear any boos from the crowd, at least! Can’t say much for the ghosts, though.”

 

“Oh my god, you’re never going to stop, are you?” She said. Chat shook his head innocently, and Ladybug chuckled to herself. Her Miraculous beeped, and she frowned.

 

“Well, looks like my time is up, you silly kitty.”

 

“So it seems, my Lady. Well, I guess-”

 

“Uh-uh!” She said, holding a finger up. “I can only handle so much of your puns before you make me crack, Chat. But this gives you plenty of time to think of more…” She drawled on, tapping her yo-yo as she sauntered away. She spun around, gave him a wink, and said,

 

“When you give your encore!”

 

She quickly whipped around and swung her yo-yo at the nearest building, zipping away as she heard Chat Noir shout, “Wha-aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHH YOU MADE A PUN! YES!” Behind her. She laughed and allowed the momentum of her swing to thrust her into the air, riding on her high and giggling to herself.

 

Chat Noir jumped up and down, fist pumping as he watched Ladybug disappear beyond the Parisian horizon.

 

“I made Ladybug make a pun! I made Ladybug _snort!_ ” He shouted, and with a bounce in his step, sprinted in the streets, skipping every now and then. He extended his staff and launched himself into the air, feeling as if Cloud Nine itself were lifting him high into the sky, taking him to Ladybug heaven. He spotted his mansion and dropped down from the air, heading straight for his room’s purposely opened window. He flew right inside, his feet planting perfectly on the ground, and his transformation wore off instantly. Plagg stretched and yawned, and Adrien instinctively pulled out a slice of camembert for his kwami. He tossed it up into the air and ran towards his bed, leaped into the air, and relished the sensation of the wind pushing out of his lungs as his body sunk into the bed. He rolled around in the sheets and laughed, which just made Plagg actually chuckle.

 

“What a smitten kitten you are, eh?”

 

Adrien stopped and pushed himself up, his arms propped underneath his body as he stared at Plagg in glee.

 

“You have no idea. Are all Chat Noir’s supposed to be this catlike when it comes to expressions of joy?”

 

Plagg snorted and continued to chew on his cheese. “Let’s just say that I hope you don’t come in contact with catnip anytime soon.”

 

Adrien laughed and fell back onto his bed, grabbing a pillow and squeezing it with all his might. This little victory, this slight hint of bonding, was everything to him. He hummed, or at least he thought he did, the action sounding more like a purr than anything, and began kneading the pillow as he thought of Ladybug’s willing participation in the fine art of pun making, and how happy she looked when she said it to him. It was like a tough act she put on every other time he made a pun, just rolling her eyes or brushing it off, but in reality, she was as much a dork as he was. An adorable dork.

 

Adrien sighed, and let his thoughts wander as he wondered if anyone had been able to record the exact moment Ladybug began to laugh at his puns. He might need video evidence to prove to her(and himself)that Ladybug had, in fact, gone along with Chat Noir’s puns. And she enjoyed them.

 

“Ah, victory, a treat that is so, so sweet.” Adrien whispered to himself as he hugged his pillow once more.

 

Marinette took her seat, her classmates conversing happily as she whipped out her phone and skimmed through the Ladyblog. Marinette made it a habit to check if Alya had something that was a bit _too_ incriminating posted, so she kept up on her friend’s blog just in case. And so far, nothing seemed to be up about yesterday’s akuma attack. So there was nothing too stressful about this morning, other than the Algebra pop quiz Ms. Bustier had been not-so-subtly hinting about.

 

Alya suddenly rushed into the classroom, and before Marinette could process what was going on, Alya had jumped up, pulled the projector screen down, and turned off the lights.

 

“Ladybug was _flirting_ with Chat Noir yesterday!” She shouted giddily, and tapped the button on the projector to reveal a thumbnail that was a picture of Ladybug right when she was about to whisk herself away, winking at Chat Noir and smirking. Murmurs went throughout the class, and everyone sat in their seats as Alya played the video. Marinette felt a fiery heat flood her body as she watched the amateur video(which was probably taken while they were hiding behind a building)of Chat Noir dropping puns like no tomorrow, and Ladybug laughing like an idiot. Then there was the turning point of the video, where Ladybug held up her finger, made a pun herself, and winked. The classroom burst into cheers, and almost everyone was out of their seats and chattering about this development, except Adrien, who was just staring at the screen. His head was tilted as he held his chin up with his hand, gazing at the paused screen which had a winking Ladybug. Marinette mentally scolded herself.

 

 _“Don’t lead him on, huh? Marinette, you hypocritical flirt. Now even_ Adrien _thinks that Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to become an item! Please God, don’t let him figure out who Ladybug really is anytime soon.”_

 

“Alya Césaire!”

 

Everyone practically jumped out of their skin as Ms. Bustier charged into the classroom. She flipped on the lights, turned off the projector, and pulled down on the screen to let it roll up. She faced Alya crossly, and the room was dead silent. After what seemed like forever, she just sighed, closed her eyes, and held her hand out.

 

“Your phone, Alya. Hand it over. It’s the _least_ you could do for this outrageous behavior.”

 

Alya nodded her head solemnly and placed her most prized possession iN her teacher’s hand, who placed it gently on her desk. She then gave her a warm smile.

 

“Don’t worry, Ms. Césaire, you’ll get this back by the end of the day. We’re all excited about Paris’s protectors, after all. Just sit in your seat and behave yourself, alright?”

 

The entire class seemed to be relieved as Alya nodded and headed to her seat next to Marinette with a smile. Marinette just shook her head as she sat down and nudged her with her elbow.

 

“Isn’t this great? Not only will they be a superhero duo, they’ll be a superhero _couple!”_ Alya whispered as Ms. Bustier started their lecture for the day.

 

“Alya, you are reading into this _way_ too much. That was a friendly gesture, and for all we know, Ladybug was just out of it that day. When else have you ever seen her laugh at Chat’s puns? Oh yeah, _never_.”

 

“But that’s the point! She was weak, and so she revealed her true feelings. And those feelings were that she liked Chat and his puns! I swear, girl, that those two will end up together. They are destined for each other.”

 

“Amen, sister.”

 

Marinette turned to see who had said that, and found Adrien and Nino smiling widely at the pair. Marinette raised her eyebrows at Nino, but he just shook his head and pointed at Adrien.

 

“Dude’s literally the biggest Ladynoir shipper out there. Well, next to Alya.”

 

Marinette blushed, groaning as she let her head drop onto her desk. She heard Alya snicker next to her, but Marinette didn’t really care.

 

The one time she gives Chat a treat, all of Paris seems to be savoring it. Marinette was grateful that she didn’t know Chat as a civilian. He would be rubbing this in her face for the next month. This was why she hated those love triangle movies so much. They were complicated, frustrating, and ultimately could be avoided if the protagonist had just been content with one cute boy.

  
But of course, Marinette had to deal with two in her life. Luck just wouldn’t have it any other way.


	4. Trop Près

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For some reason a short, angsty, marichat chapter a.k.a. the worst excuse for an update ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is it song-based???? idk. idk. just fyi don't listen to melanie martinez in the middle of the fucking night and decide to write a fic

Chat Noir slouched as he took stared up at the night sky, allowing the star studded horizon to lull him into slumber. His father never checked on him while he slept, and he’d already bid Nathalie goodnight, so he had free reign for the next ten hours to do as he pleased. He had a soft bed at his house that he could sleep in, but the streets of Paris beckoned to him, and polite, obedient Adrien was shed to reveal a care-free kid that could care less about his image or reputation. This day had proven to be against him, what with his advances on his Lady making him seem more vulnerable than he’d wished. She just stared at him in confusion, and he changed the subject back to the akuma they had to face once more. But right then, that did not matter. All that mattered was the wind in his hair and the exhilaration he felt as he fell out of the sky, jumping roof from roof.

 

His feet landed gracefully, the force of the landing jolting through his body in one flow of sensation. He breathed hard, and closed his eyes, feeling the chilly night air raise the hairs of his neck. He sat down on the roof he stood on, and stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. There was nothing Chat could think of, and he was grateful for that. If he wasn’t thinking of his Lady, his friends, or his studies, then the next best thing was to just zone out and relax his mind for once.

 

He heard a faint sigh, and his eyes shot open, his ears twitching as they strained to find the source of the noise. His eyes focused, and he saw someone on the balcony he failed to notice he sat in front of. A small young lady, it seemed, whose hair shined in the night like the mirror image of the midnight sky. She leaned against the railing, staring down at the street with a somber expression.

 

“Marinette.” He whispered, and clenched his teeth as he frantically searched for a place to hide. He spotted a chimney on the roof he was in, and sprinted like a madman. He let himself slide, and felt his hands meet brick as he grabbed for his stop. He let out a sigh of relief, and dared to peek over the chimney, intrigued by the sight of his familiar friend.

 

Marinette closed her eyes, tucking a strand of hair behind her hair. She seemed to be nodding, as if listening to someone speak to her her in consolation, but Chat saw no one around.

 

_ “She’s probably just trying to comfort  _ herself _.”  _ He thought. 

 

Marinette’s shoulders slumped, and her eye’s opened, ever so slightly, and began to suddenly sing. 

 

“You know I’m not one, to break promises..”

 

Chat felt a strange pang in his chest, making his heart feel hollow. He saw her take a deep breathe, shutting her eyes again.

 

“I don’t want to hurt you, but I need to breathe.”

 

Chat was standing now, facing his friend at a loss. Was it a loss for words? A loss for thoughts? Chat felt like it was both. Marinette was strong, even if anxious if caught off guard. Did someone hurt her?

 

“At the end of it all, you’re still my best friend.” She sang, her voice growing louder, more confident as she continued.  “But there’s something inside that I need to release...”

 

But who would hurt Marinette? Such a sweet, courageous girl who did nothing but show love and kindness didn’t deserve such treatment. He sighed, recognizing the song she sang. It was one of both unrequited and not requiting love. Of hesitance and of hopes for escape from the torture you’d call love. He closed his eyes, focusing on her voice and quietly, subtly, singing along.

 

Marinette gripped the fence, closing her eyes belting out the lyrics into the evening sounds of Paris.

 

“Which way is right? Which way is wrong? How do I say that I need to move on? You know we’re headed separate ways...”

 

She felt her heart grow heavy, and though it was probably just emotion making her mind muddled, she could have almost sworn that Adrien himself was singing along with her. As if he was singing about her. The thought made the tears she was holding back slide down her face in defiance, and yet she did not let her voice falter as she begun the chorus. 

 

“And it feels like I am just too close to love you.”

 

Her mind turned to the face Chat had, full of love and hope, and her heart shattered even more.

 

“There is nothing I can really say…”

 

“I can’t lie no more, I can’t hide no more,” Chat sang, his voice louder now, uncaring of Marinette discovering he was there anymore. “Got to be true to myself.”

 

“And it feels like I am,  _ just  _ too close to love you…” They sang in unison, their voices in sync and in perfect tune, Chat’s voices harmonizing with Marinette’s to create a sorrowful yet beautiful tune that seemed to make the streets of Paris fill with the burden these two carried. Chat opened his eyes, and saw Marinette staring right at him with wide eyes. He nodded his head once slowly, and she nodded back, looking back down at the streets. Hiis heart felt no lighter as he poured his emotions out with her, but it felt like it was being consoled in a different kind of way; and so the two continued to sing, heartbroken yet determined to maintain hope in their seemingly hopeless troubles. 

  
“..So I’ll be on my way.”


	5. Wow, What a Suprise, It's a Coffee Shop AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> part of a thirty day challenge thing i'm doing for april that i got a head start on. you're welcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This AU is basically where Adrien decides he wants to get his hands a lil dirty by dipping his toes deeper into the real world, so with the grudging permission from his father, he gets a job a cute lil cafe near the Lycee, which is serendipitously near the Dupain-Cheng bakery as well

“Would you like some whipped cream with that, Marinette?” Adrien asked kindly, trying with all his might to avoid contact with Marinette, who smiled and nodded.

 

“Yes, please!” She giggled. “Sorry, should have told you right off the bat.” She said. Adrien hurriedly waved her off, laughing awkwardly as he put on the whipped cream in hurry.

 

“No, no, you’re okay!” He said, and gently placed the cup on the counter. He whipped out a Sharpie from his pocket and scribbled a message on the cup in a flash, signing it with a flourish. Marinette laughed.

 

“Thanks, Adrien. See you later!” She said, and gave him a small wave before retreating to the corner of the cafe to Alya.  She sighed to herself, glad that Alya’s idea of visiting the cafe Adrien worked at as much as possible would help her get used to talking to him more. It was obviously working, if she was able to laugh around him about her mistakes, instead of ending up near tears. 

 

It hadn’t worked out so well at first, of course. Marinette would always make Alya order for them at a usual restaurant since her anxiety would usually make her seize up, so having Marinette start out by directly ordering to Adrien was out of the question. But as Adrien would bid the girls hello every time they ordered, Marinette began to peep out of her awkward shell, returning the hello, then eventually participated in small talk, and then began to give her order herself after Alya gave hers. Next thing Marinette knew, the very girl she knew would probably be on the brink of a breakdown was laughing and teasing him as she ordered, all on her own. And her visits started out as a pleasant break from the other rude customers to Adrien, and then to a relief from his daily life, to the highlight of his day. And the next thing he knew, he was yearning for her visits outside of school, slowly falling in love with yet another one of his best friends. 

 

So naturally, being the romantic he was, he began to personalize Marinette’s cups whenever she ordered. Writing her name with a little star at the end was how it started at first. Then he would give her good wishes for the day, or anything she mentioned she had coming up. Now he would write puns, jokes, anything that was guranteed to get a smile from her. But today, he ventured the tiniest bit further, and hoped taking this limb was not for naught.

 

Adrien sighed, uncaring of the fact that he was openly staring at the love of his life in the middle of work. He placed his elbow on the counter, chin in hand, and gazed at Marinette fondly, ignoring the pile of whipped cream he managed to rest on as she read the note he left on her cup.

 

_ “Wait, did I just call her….the love of my life?”  _ Adrien thought. 

 

“HEY!”

 

Adrien jolted, causing his elbow to slip. His face hit the counter  _ hard,  _ which certainly interrupted his train of thought. He groaned and rubbed his forehead to look up at the customer ahead of him.

 

“Oh crap, sorry dude! Oh my god, you zoned the fuck  _ out.”  _ Nino laughed, slapping the counter in his fit of laughter. He wiped away an imaginary tear and smiled at a now irritated Adrien. 

 

“Okay, sorry for laughing at your ogling at Marinette.” Nino said, reaching out to rub Adrien’s forehead. Adrien pushed his hand away and huffed.

 

“I was not ogling Marinette.” Adrien lied flatly. Nino’s face fell into his famous “I-call-bullshit” face and crossed his arms.

 

“Get me a cup of peppermint tea, and that was a complete and utter lie. You were totally staring at her.” He said finally. Adrien rolled his eyes and walked over to the supplies to grab him a cup.

 

“Staring does not equal ogling, Nino. Ogling means like, creepy mental undressing. It’s too vulgar. I would never do that to Marinette, or any girl, for that matter.” He said, and walked over to prepare Nino’s tea.

 

“Okay, but you were-”

 

“And I was  _ not  _ staring at her.” Adrien said, stopping to point the cup at Nino for emphasis.

 

“Bro, it’s okay to admit you got a crush on someone other than a freaking superhero. Crushes on normal people are actually, well, normal.” Nino said helpfully. Adrien sighed and finished filling the cup with hot water, grabbing the bags of tea pensively.

 

“Do you….think it’s okay to have a crush so quickly? And so hard?” Adrien asked Nino quietly, not turning around as he opened the packets in his hand.

 

“Hell yeah. How do you think me and Alya got together? It definitely was some spur of the moment stuff, though Ladybug and Chat Noir kind of played a hand in it.” Nino said, and Adrien resisted the urge to smile as he took out the dripping tea bags from the cup. He turned around and smiled at his friend as he put a lid on the cup.

 

“Thanks, Nino. And uh, if I come up in conversation…” Adrien trailed off, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“I’ll put in a good word for you.” Nino said with a wink, making sure he was a good distance away from a relieved Adrien before muttering under his breath,

 

“Not that I have to in the first place.”

 

Marinette sighed dreamily as she read the note Adrien left on her cup, over and over again as she took in the amount of ridiculousness and affection he was able to fit into one little message on a coffee cup.

 

_ “Hey, Marinette! Have I mentioned that you’re a really great person? Well, if I haven’t  _ bean,  _ I’ll tell you now-you’re a super awesome girl, and I like you a  _ latte!  _ Hope you come again soon!  _ _ ❤ ~ _ **Adrien**

  
A heart and a possible confession pun. She hated to admit it, but puns were becoming such a presence in her life that she didn’t really mind them anymore(Though she’d never admit that to Chat Noir). But Adrien’s puns were something she was actually warming up to. Marinette hummed and took another sip of her cappuccino, letting the warmth of the drink mix with the blush heating up her cheeks, doing her best to stay focused on the conversation between Alya and Nino as she and Adrien stole smiles and glances in between.


	6. When Good Seduces Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SupervillainxSuperhero AU for day 2(that i have a headstart on lmao)!!!

She knew she had him wrapped around her finger.

 

“Oh, Chat Noir, you really don’t want to hurt all of these innocent people do you? After all, you’d just make the job harder for me if you kept this up any longer.” Ladybug asked with the slightest hint of flirtation in her voice as she was taking in the scene before her. Chat Noir was at it again, terrorizing Paris at the bidding of Hawkmoth, and she was here to stop him from pushing people to the brink of akumitization. He was holding a young preteen boy up to his face, no doubt scaring him witless with his intimidating stance, but Chat whipped around as soon as he heard her voice. He may have been a bad guy, but Ladybug had vowed to do as little damage as possible to him- _ if  _ possible. Chat Noir might be one naughty little kitten, but they way his face genuinely lit up when he saw her gave her the slightest glimmer of hope that

 

“Oh, My Lady, but it does make your job much more interesting, doesn’t it? After all, you are so a-meow-zing.” Chat Noir replied smoothly, clutching the boy’s shirt tighter. The boy whimpered, and Ladybug rolled her eyes. She walked up to Chat Noir, grabbing his chin and scratching it before prying his fingers off the boy’s shirt.

 

“Honestly, chaton, have a little more restraint around the civilians. The combination of your bad puns and constant flirting might give the impression you might actually…” Ladybug trailed off, and dramatically gasped for effect.

 

“Find me attractive!” She finished. She laughed, eyes closed as she instinctively zipped her yo-yo high into the sky to catch the akuma fluttering towards the cowering child. She sighed, recoiling her yo-yo back in and snapped it open to release the pure white butterfly, her job already done.

 

Chat Noir crossed his arms. “Hmph. Touche, my Lady. Really, you’re so endearing with this whole goody-two shoes schtick, it just amuses me on how adorable you could be.” Chat Noir said, sauntering towards Ladybug with a seemingly unshatterable swagger. He leaned towards her, a little too close for comfort and whispered,

 

“For a hero, at least.”

 

Ladybug laughed and turned to him, maintaining the distance-or lack, thereof-between them with a fiery determination. If Chat wasn’t so intent on making Ladybug crack, he would’ve fallen apart himself. Ladybug simply smirked at him and moved towards his face, almost closing the space between him as she stared him down.

 

“My, my, what a flirt, eh? If you keep this up, I’ll have to admit it’s a bit endearing.”

 

Her smugness translated to the rest of her body, her stance sultry and her voice dropping to a low whisper as she connected the space between them, their noses touching and their lips barely and inch away. Chat Noir froze, and her startling blue eyes gazed at him so intently, as if she was boring into his soul, that his demeanor caved in. He closed his eyes, hands slightly trembling as he leaned in to hopefully fill in the rest of the gap. He heard Ladybug giggle, and felt her presence shift from the front of him to right next to his ear, and with a victorious lilt in her voice, she said

 

“For a villain, at least.” She quickly spun around, thrust her yo-yo out, and zipped off into the Parisian night.

 

Chat Noir took a deep breath, realizing that he hadn’t been breathing the entire time. He growled in frustration and ran a hand through his hair at his failure to maintain his composure, knowing that he was going to get  _ such  _ an earful from his father for letting her trick him like that.

 

But he couldn’t help it. As he glanced back, watching the black shadow that was his nemesis shoot off into the night, the melting pot of emotion that was what he felt every time she was around couldn’t be denied forever.

 

But he could sure as hell try.

 

Ladybug laughed airily, her laughter a crystal clear sound that bounced off of the buildings she whizzed by. Oh god, she knew she had him wrapped around her finger. Chat Noir was putty in the hands of Ladybug, and boy, was this charade going to fall through soon. But she didn’t care about that then. All she knew was that there was a glimmer of hope for redemption for him, and as long as that remained, she would continue to fight for Paris, even if it meant fighting Hawkmoth head on, even if it meant fighting a possessed Chat Noir.

 

Because she knew that as long as she fought, she wouldn’t just be fighting him, she would be fighting for him.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try updating ASAP, so consistency can be tossed out the window. But you should probably expect updates during weekends(Friday/Saturday/Sunday)!
> 
> (psst also please give me attention and comments about stuff you liked in my writing constructive criticism really helps and i also appreciate it as well!)


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